Christmas at Ichiraku
by leontinees
Summary: Amongst the problems and dangers, there's still one place to be calm and warm... but some time, even that little refuge will need help. What a kind chuunin sensei could do for a caring young lady and nice old man? IruAya/IrukaxAyame


_Today, 21 December, is officially winter ^o^! I hope you like this little fanfic, because I think IruAya is a very cute couple!_

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><p>It was a cold night on the street. It was December, the last days, and the sky above Iruka was full of clouds so white they almost lit. It was clear that soon it would begin to snow.<p>

Tightening the scarf around his neck, Iruka walked without realize to a popular place: his refuge, his almost second home, where he could get a seat and a hot meal... the _Ichiraku Ramen_. Normally, when he arrived, he always received a friendly greeting by Teuchi, along with the happy smile of welcome from Ayame. But this time was different, being instead a look of worry and anguish on the faces of the two cooks.

"Good evening, Teuchi-san!" Iruka greeted kindly.

"Oh, good evening, Umino-san" sighed the man back, without changing his expression. "What would you like to eat?"

"Well... maybe today I feel like a typical Shoyu ramen".

Teuchi retreated into the kitchen to order, while Ayame was left to attend customers. However, a sorrow sigh from the young lady incited the sensei to browse.

"Emm, Ayame-san... is something wrong?"

"Well, actually..." The girl approached him to tell. "We have a small problem. Usually, the last day of the year we have many people here, and we hire the services of some genin to help. But this year, with the whole thing of Akatsuki, even recent graduates are busy with important missions, and we are left alone. My father says that this year we'll must to close the shop".

"Is that so serious?"

"Of course it is!" screamed the girl with surety, given a sudden knock to the bar with both hands, causing the chuunin to go back startled. "Sorry" she apologized, calming. "But it's really important. We are a small business with few regular customers. If we close precisely on the busiest days, the other restaurants will delete us".

"Oh, I understand" Iruka nodded in solidarity with her. "Ichiraku is a great place, I would regret if it disappears.

Ayame nodded too, but her eyes widened when an idea suddenly came to her.

"Iruka-san!" she screamed again, with a second knock.

"Y-yes?" he said, startled twice.

"You could help us!" Ayame begged, clasping her hands before her in request. "Please Iruka-san, we cannot do it alone!"

"W-what?" exclaimed the sensei. "I-I would love to help, but I do not know... I know nothing about how these things work".

"It's not so hard!" said the young cook, trying to convince him. "Please! We use to have three genin, but a single chuunin will be enough. I promise not to leave you at any time, Iruka-san!"

A _single_ chuunin?

_Not leave him _at any time?

It was luck for Ayame that the shinobi who happened to pass by at the exact time was Iruka, because it was another, it might have misinterpreted her words.

"But..."

He tried to refuse again, but looking at Ayame's wet eyes and imploring look, he wasn't able to. That was totally emotional blackmail!

"... Okay, I'll do it" he sighed defeated. "Just smile again, Ayame-san".

She did it immediately, and seeing her, Iruka couldn't help but do it too.

**. . . . . . . . . .**

The last day of the year, 31th December, Iruka could have sworn that he never ever before had worked more than today. He got up at 5.00am and helped Teuchi to open the shop, also sweeping the floor and placing the seats. Later he went with Ayame to buy fresh groceries, walking in the snow with frozen air during almost two hours, and both of them carrying with all the bags that they could.

"I'm very thankful for your help, Iruka-san!" she smiled happy.

"Well, it's only what a gentleman should do for a beautiful lady".

Ayame blushed a little with the nice compliment. Luck for her that the cold could hide it.

"Do you really have to do this every day, and alone?"

"My my, of course not! This extra-hyper-shopping only happens twice or three times every year, like Christmas or some festival... but again, we have genin hired for help us".

Then, already working inside the little restaurant, Iruka felt his head spinning around with all the noise and fast orders. Was it really the same peaceful and nice place where he use to invite Naruto? It didn't seem to.

Yes, it was a hell of day... By the way, what were all those people doing there, instead being in their own warm homes, enjoying with their families? The costumers seemed like a bunch of bachelors, and probably they were... well, just like him.

Yes, that was the truth. Did Iruka have some plans for the last day of the year? No, none. If he wouldn't be there working, where else? In his lonely home, advancing tasks from ninja academy, cooking something easy for dinner and watching anything in the TV until midnight (cause just for today, he wanted to wait for the new year begin). Instead, he was with such awesome people, working together and laughing.

Definitely, he couldn't complain...

**. . . . . . . . . .**

It was 23.00pm, and the Ichiraku ramen had just closed. No more costumers, no more noise, no more orders... finally! Teuchi laughed a little at him when the chuunin left his head drop in the bar for the tireness.

"Umino-san, you saved us today" said the old man. "Is there something I can do for you in return? Like a tip, maybe?"

"Please, don't say that, Teuchi-san" Iruka opened one eye and looked at him with a slight smile. "It was a pleasure for me to help you two and Ichiraku".

Teuchi nodded and went back to the kitchen, where he still have things to wash. The shinobi close his eye again, listening the silence, and perhaps he had fallen asleep but for a touch on his shoulder that woke him.

"Iruka-san?" Ayame whispered near his ear, shaking softly his shoulder. "You can go home now, you did a good work. Thanks again".

"Anytime you need" he replied, hiding a yawn.

The kind sensei walked away a little, wishing for his bed, when suddenly he felt something grasping his sleeve. He turned back, and was surprised to see Ayame next to him.

"Ayame-san?" he asked. "Did you forget something?"

"Emm, actually... yes" she looked away for a second. "You know, since it's Christmas when we use to hire genin for help, I always have some present to give them as reward... and I wanted to give you something too".

"There's no need fo..."

"But is usually something childish like chocolate, or some type of toy for ninja children..." she continued, not taking care for his interruption. "And I thought that didn't fit for an adult man, so I didn't buy. But I really, really want to give you a present for your help! So..."

Iruka was waiting the final of her sentence, cause he didn't want to interrupt again, but the young lady seemed to be a bit nervous. She was biting her lip, like thinking about something she need courage for do.

"Aya-"

"What's there?" she suddenly asked, pointing behind him.

Iruka looked, but before he could see anything, he felt some warm and soft touch in his cheek, almost like a silky caress. What was that?

"Well, that's all" she said, walking back to Ichiraku. "Have a nice New Year, Iruka-san!"

And she was gone, before he was able to move a single finger. Moments after, he reached his cheek and touched the same little spot where he felt that wonderful caress. The reason was that... Ayame-san had kissed him.

**. . . . . . . . . .**

_Next year..._

Iruka was in front of Ichiraku, not daring yet to come in. Well, he passed by the shop every month, every week, almost every day... but not today, cause today was a "special day". Today was 31th Decemeber, again.

After some minutes feeling his hands and feet freezing, he finally made a step. Then he made a second, and a third... and he came in, being greeted by a beautiful girl with a happy smile.

"Hi, Iruka-san!" she said. "What do you want?"

"Well, I... I was worried about if you will need help again..."

**THE END**

(or maybe it's a beginning?)

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><p><em>A year ago, this was my entry for IrukaxAyameFC first contest in Deviantart! It was the first time in my whole life that I wrote a fanfic in english. I´m not that bad with the language, but I speak spanish... so please, forgive my little mistakes.<em>

_It ended being very soft, I wanted to be more romantic... but the characters were stronger than me, I wasn´t able to put them in passionate attitude._


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